JOIN USA top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit has been arrested by security forces from Bandipora district of Kashmir Valley, police said today.
Junaid, who used aliases Manzoor and Arshad and was working with the outfit for the past 14 years, was arrested in Turkpora area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district last Wednesday, a police spokesman said.
On specific information about presence of a militant in a house in the area, Army and police had conducted a joint operation and cordoned off a house, where Junaid was hiding.
He tried to break the cordon and escape, but he was overpowered and arrested, the spokesman said.
He said the forces recovered one AK-56 rifle with two magazines and 60 rounds from his possession.
Junaid, the police said, was also working as a guide and helped militant groups to cross the Line of Control in the Valley.
He had managed to escape last month from the neighbouring Ganderbal district when Army and police killed five militants in a nocturnal raid.
His arrest was kept under wraps due to ongoing anti-militancy operations based on the information provided by him to the police during questioning.